One of the things important to parents is being sure to make lasting memories with our children. We want them to grow up and think fondly on their childhood despite the challenges that all childhoods have. This can be difficult though in a digital world moving at the speed of clicks and screen flashes. I think it is important to slow down and be sure to make memories that go beyond the screen.
My oldest daughter and I took the time to hunt for the Lyrid Meteor shower that peaked last night April 22nd around 4am. It is found in the North East part of the sky, to the right of the constellation Lyra. This is only a coincidence as it turns out though, it is not always in this part of the sky. My 14 year old brought out the telescope we are not yet good at using and searched the sky while I sat back in a lawn chair and looked up. We talked, joked, and had a great time. She was very focused on light getting in the way of the sky so she ran into the house and shut off all the lights. We moved around the front yard trying to dance around the fire ant hills in the dark. Who says sky gazing is a safe hobby? LOL We spent a lot of time outside, damn, and cold. We called it quits for a bit as the clouds stoll the clouds for us. A few hours later at 4am my teen was back outside and texting me that she was seeing the stars falling. I scooped up our little star lover in the family, the 6 year old and out we went. We brought blankets to lay on the wet trampoline and cuddled together looking up at the sky. We watched and watched and chatted and learned from one another. We did see a few, but not as many as I expected. It was a memory I do not think any of us will soon forget. I kept waiting for one of the girls to complain, to suggest we all go inside to get warm, but they didn’t. Soon the chatter slowed and some how we all fell asleep. I woke up to the road in the distance busy with early drivers, the world less quiet, and chilly. The girls woke up groggy by happy and inside we went. They talked about it all day and want to do it again. Not tonight girls, Mom needs to recover! I learned so much from my girls last night and they both truly have my admiration for all they know about the sky and how loving they are with each other. We are very lucky.
So get out and lay under the stars! You don’t need a telescope though certainly that is a great hobby!
Below is the one my children currently have, it has a CD to help identify what stars are over your head in your area and many other helpful things and it is very affordable.
